L835.] EXCURSION IN THE MOUNTAINS. *G7 



thing' more delicious than the milk of a young cocoa-nut. Pine- 

 apples are here so abundant that the people eat them in the same 

 wasteful manner as we might turnips. They are of an excellent 

 flavour — perhaps even better than those cultivated in England ; 

 and this I believe is the highest compliment which can be paid 

 to any fruit. Before going on board, Mr. Wilson interpreted 

 for me to the Tahitian who had paid me so adroit an attention, 

 that I wanted him and another man to accompany me on a short 

 excursion into the mountains. 



18th. — In the morning I came on shore early, bringing with 

 me some provisions in a bag, and two blankets for myself and 

 servant. These w r ere lashed to each end of a long pole, which 

 was alternately carried by my Tahitian companions on their 

 shoulders. These men are accustomed thus to carry, for a whole 

 day, as much as fifty pounds at each end of their poles. I told 

 my guides to provide themselves with food and clothing ; but 

 they said that there was plenty of food in the mountains, 

 and for clothing, that their skins were sufficient. Our line 

 of march was the valley of Tia-auru, down which a river flows 

 into the sea by Point Venus. This is one of the principal 

 streams in the island, and its source lies at the base of the loftiest 

 central pinnacles, which rise to a height of about 7000 feet. The 

 whole island is so mountainous that the only way to penetrate 

 into the interior is to follow up the valleys. Our road, at first, 

 lay through woods which bordered each side of the river ; and 

 the glimpses of the lofty central peaks, seen as through an avenue, 

 with here and there a waving cocoa-nut tree on one side, were 

 extremely picturesque. The valley soon began to narrow, and 

 the sides to grow lofty and more precipitous. After having 

 walked between three and four hours, we found the width of the 

 ravine scarcely exceeded that of the bed of the stream. On each 

 hand the walls were nearly vertical ; yet from the soft nature of 

 the volcanic strata, trees and a rank vegetation sprung from 

 every projecting ledge. These precipices must have been some 

 thousand feet high ; and the whole formed a mountain gorge far 

 more magnificent than anything which I had ever before beheld. 

 Until the mid-day sun stood vertically over the ravine, the air 

 felt cool and damp, but now it became very sultry. Shaded by 

 a ledge of rock, beneath a facade of columnar lava, we ate oui 



